Latch-operating device.



J. T. ALLMAND.

LATCH OPERATlNG DEVICE. APVPLICATION'FILED SEPT. 20, 1915.

1,171,690. Patented Feb.15,1916. j

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T.'ALLMAND, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB TO FISHER CLOSED BODYCOMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

LATCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

Application filed September 20, 1915. Serial No. 51,526.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J OHN T. ALLMAND, acitizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of WVayne,State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and i. eful Improvementin Latch-Operating Devices, and declare the following to be a full,clear, and

exact description of the same, such as willenable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a latch opening device for use on a removabletop for convertible automobile bodies.

It comprises a device adapted .tobe carried by the upper section of thetwo-section door when the top is in place. The device is so constructedthat it can be easily operated from the inside or from without to swingthe ordinary inside latch lever onthe. lower body section, and it is soarranged that it affords a non-rattling connection with the said latchlever. This will more fully appear in the description following.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an inside view of portions of the upper andlower door sections of a convertible body when the removable top is inposition, and showing my device. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of thesame. Fig. 3. is a section on the line A A of Fig. 2.

a designates the ordinary-door used'in an o'pen body, I) the concealedlatch casing, c

the latch lever which protrudes through the segmental slot d.

The door section of the removable top is lettered e and will be referredto as the upper door section.

f represents a small casting or sleeve which can be secured to theoutside of the door .and which acts as one ofthe bearings for the arborg which passes through the upper door section. To the outside end ofthis arbor is tightly fitted or soldered a handle it which forconvenience of reference will be termed the exterior handle. Theextension of this handle which fits over the outside end of the arbor gis really the member which is rotatably supported by the casting orsleeve 7 to give the arbor g a bearing in this sleeve. The extreme innerend of the arbor g is screw-threaded and the succeeding portion of thearbor is squared. On the squared portion fits the bushing a which may besoldered in place if desired, and also the lever j, which is preferablya two-arm lever, one arm above and one arm below the point of attachmentto the arbor. A'casting or sleeve 70 screws to the inside of the doorsection 6 and serves as a bearing for the bushing z. A

cap nut Z runs on the threads of the inner iron stop 0 when the lever isnot being oper.-"

ated. The stop 0 is secured to the lower door section.

A spring (not shown) which customarily keeps the latch proper-projectedalso serves to keep the latch lever o in its forward position. This isthe common construction of latches for automobile doors and needs nofurther illustration or description. When the latch is not beingretracted, the lower end of the lower arm of the lever y is pinchedbetween the top of the latch lever 0 and the stop 0, and the rubberbutton 70. is the portion of this arm which is in contact with both thelatch lever and the stop. Consetop of the quently this produces anon-rattling device,

as the force of the spring of the latch which keeps the latch lever inits forward position, is sufiicient to hold the latch lever and the=lower arm of the lever 7' tightly against the of the stop 0, which ifin the way of the operation of the latch lever, can easily be taken 03by-taking out thetwo screws.

It is apparentthat with the inside latch lever, which is the prevailinglever now used in the present form of open body construction, it will beimpossible to open the door when the top section is in place.Consequently my device accomplishes this-purpose, and already set out indetail, the

stop used in conjunction with the lower arm for the lever j and thespring-actuated latch lever secures a non-rattling connection between mydevice 1 latch lever The upper serves as a com c tion-of the latch le\from the ot' erwise would he other ineonvement "a h t latch openingnevic o upper se inoperative connection th the latch What 1 claim is: r

l. in a door constrnotion con aprising rip-- er and lower separable doorsections and an inside latch lever for the lower door section yieldinglyforced to one end of swinging arc, the combination of a stop rd-- jacentsuch end of the singing are of tile latch lever, and o device'secured tothe upper door section and comprising an arbor passing through the upperdoor section a handle on the outside end of the arbor, and a lever armon the inside of the arbor, the end of which is engaged between thelatch lever and the stop when the device is inopen ative an dadspted tocontact the latch lever to operate the same when the lever arm is swung.

Z In a door construction comprising upper and lower separable sectionsand an inside hitch lever yieldingly urged toward one end of itsswinging are, the conduination of a stop adjacent said end of the lathlever swinging are, and a device secured to the upper door section,comprisinglenerhor r0- tatzihly held in the upper thi her section,ahandle on the outside end of the arbor and a lever arm on the insideend theerboi and provided at its eb'treine end with cushioning means forcontacting the stop ace the lRiICil lever when the parts are ininoperative poksition, said lever arm servingtolswizug the latch leverwhen the lever arm is swung.

and lower separable door sections and a tch lever yieldingly urgedtoward one end swinging ere, the combination of a stop secured adiace'ntsaid end of the swing-i mg are, and a. device rotetably mounted in theupper door section, comprising an arbor in door construction, comprisingup passing through the upper door section, .3, M handle on the outsideendand a two arm 1 lever secured to the inside end, one urirrof which ispinched between the stop and the yieldingly urged latch lever when the;part5 are inoperative and which serves to aetuete the latch lever whenthe lever arm is swung, and the other arm. of which acts cs a loverhandle on the inside of the door.

4. In a door construction, comprising upper and lower separable sectionsand a latch lever thatis ordinarily yieldingly urged toward one end ofits swinging arc, the combination of a stop adjacent the end of saidswinging arc, and a device rotatably mounted in the upper door sectionand comprising an arbor passing through the upper door section, leverarm on the inside end of the arbor probutton which contacts with thestop and the hitch lever when the parts are in inoperative position intestimony whereof, I signthis specification.

JGHN T. ALLMAND i at its extreme end With a. rivet-shaped,

